Sign



June 13, 1933. w. J. M cDONALD ET AL SIGN Filed Feb. 1932 lnper a/ifonvdPatented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT o1=1='1c1a:v

WILLIAMJ'. MACDONALD, OF BOSTON, AND WILLIAM B. MILLER, 02' MRFOBD,

MASSACHUSETTS 1 SIGN Application filed February 4, 1982. Serial No.590,874.

This invention relates to reflecting signs, traflic guides, streetmarkers, signals and-1ndicators for roadways, and vehicle number plates,all of the type adapted to be rendered 5 visible by reflected natural orartificial light,

and comprising a comparatively non-reflecting, or slightly reflectmgbackground, ,upon which are light-reflecting characters or symbols whichare capable of returning to the eye a large portion of the light fallingon the reflecting surfaces from various directions. The invention aimsto provide asign or the like of this class, which shall be of highefficiency as regards visibility under various 1 conditions, the signbeing illuminated b I daylight, and at night being illuminated y thelight emitted from street lamps, vehicle lamps, and from the moon andstars, the construction of the sign or the like being such that the signis clearly visible to pedestrians, as well as to occupants of vehiclesfrom which the rays of light illuminating the sign or the like areprojected.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the followingdescription, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing ofone specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be pointed outmore particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a sign or the like,adapted to serve as a trafic guide,street marker, or other signal orindicator; 1

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of thecomparatively nonrefiecting, or slightly reflecting background with acharacter or symbol thereon, provided with light-reflecting means ofhigh efliciency; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged 40 scale online 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line 4,-4.- of Fig.2.

Referring to the drawing, and to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated therein, 4 there is shown a traflic sign or the likecomprising a plate 10, which may bear information or instructions of'lesser importance, and on this plate there is mounted, as by screws 11,a second plate 12, herein of sheet metal, presenting a. comparativelynon-reflecting or slightly reflecting background 13, which may be, andherein is, coated with paint or lacquer 14.0f appropriate color. I v

The plate 12 is embossed to provide one or more characters 15, hereinprojecting for- Y ward from the background 13, and having a surfacerendered highly reflecting, as by plating the metal with suitableplating, such as chromium or by making the character or symbol itsel orthe plate on which it is formed, of non-corrosive metal, such asstainless steel, polished .on the raised surface of the character orsymbol. In any event, the face of the character or symbol stands outfrom the background (see Fig. 4), and it is polished to contrast withthe background, and to reflect the light rays.

If the surface of the character or symbol were flat, its utility wouldbe comparatively limited, and to increase its effectiveness by enablingit to reflect light rays impinging thereon from different directions,the surface is irregular. One convenient and highly effective way ofrendering the surface capable of reflecting light at various angles isto make the surface corrugated, and as herein shown, we have employedtwo sets of corrugations along iines AA and lines BB,

thus forming protuberances 16 (see Fig. 4),

having angular or oblique sides 17, capable of reflecting light raysfrom quite a considerable angle to the plane of the background. In thepresent example, these rows of protuberances are disposed along lineswhich are oblique to horizontal and vertical lines. To increase theefl'ectiveness of the sign at night, each character or symbol isprovided with one or more light-reflecting bodies within the outline ofthe character or symbol, and as shown for example in Fig. 2, thecharacter is provided with several such bodies. The reflecting deviceherein shown for this purpose is one Whose general characteristics areknown, but whose details are novel. This comprises a light-transmittingbody 18 (see Fig. 3), herein spherical and conveniently made of glass,the same being somewhat in the nature of a lens, and with this there isassociated an appropriate: re-.' flector 19, herein having a concavereflect-' ing surface concentric with and spaced from the surface of thesphere. This spacing and the degree of spacing are important, as theydetermine the angle through which the light rays will be reflected. Withthe spacing shown, the angle is approximately 90 degrees.

The light-transmitting element and its associated reflector are mountedin a holder, herein comprising two bodies 20 and 21, havingscrew-threaded engagement with each other, said bodies having clampingabutments 22 and 23, respectively, on opposite sides of the plate 12,and about the margin of an aperture 24 provided in the plate to receivethe body 20. The light-transmitting element is conveniently held inplace as by providing the reflector 19 with a seat 25, on which saidelement is seated and which prevents inward movement of said element,Whi 1e outward movement is prevented by providing the body 20 with acontracted portion 26, which is spun inwardly on and about thelight-transmitting element forwardly of the center of the latter. Thereflector is seated upon an abutment 27 presented by the body 20, andthis limits inward movement of the reflector, and hence inward movementof the light-transmitting element. In assembling the parts, thereflector plate is first dropped into its place against the seat 27, thelight-transmitting element is then placed against the seat presented bythe reflector, and finally the forwardly projecting portion 26 of thebody 20 is spun, or squeezed, inwardly about and onto the surface of thelighttransmitting element, to hold the latter, as well as the reflector,firmly in place. These parts then constitute a unit which may beinserted into the aperture 24 from the front of the plate 10, and theunit-is secured in place by screwing the body 21 onto the body 20, untilthe abutment 23 bears against the rear face of the plate 12, and drawsthe abutment 22 firmly against the front face. Replacement of parts caneasily be made.

The sign, if located beside the highway, will be clearly visible by dayor at night, because of the raised reflecting surface of the characteror symbol, and at night the sign is especially efl'ective, because ofthe additional light-reflecting device set into the character or symbolwithin the outline of the character. Thus the sign is highly eflicientand satisfactory because it is capable of reflecting in variousdirections light rays emanating from surfaces throughout a wide area.

Having thus described one embodiment of our invention, but withoutlimiting ourselves thereto, what we claim and desire by Letters Patentto secure is 1. In a sign, the combination of means presenting acomparatively non-reflecting background and a character whose surface ishighly reflecting; a transparent body within the on opposite sides,respectively, of said plate about said aperture.

3. In a sign, the combination of a plate provided with an aperture, a 1ght-transmitting element, and a holder for said element, said holdercomprising two bodies having screwthreaded engagement with each other,said bodies being provided with outwardly directed flanges on oppositesides, respectively, of said plate about said aperture.

4. Ina sign, the combination of a lighttransmitting element, a reflectorassociated with and disposed behind said element, and a mounting forsaid element and said reflector, said mounting comprising two bodies,one of which has a seat for said reflector, said bodies havingscrew-threaded engagement with each other and having clamping abutments,

ments.

6. In a sign, the combination of a lighttransmitting element, areflector associated with and disposed behind said element, saidreflector having a marginal seat in which said element is seated and bywhich said element is held in spaced relationship with the reflectingsurface of said reflector, and a mounting for said element and saidreflector, said mounting comprising two bodies having screwthreadedengagement with each other, one of said bodies having an inwardlydirected seat for said reflector, said bodies having outwardly directedclamping abutments, and a plate provided with an aperture whose marginis clamped between said abutments.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of alight-transmitting element, a reflector associated with and disposedbehind said element, said reflector having a marginal seat on which saidelement is seated and by which said element is spaced from thereflecting surface of said reflector, and a mounting for said elementand said reflector, said mounting comprising two clamping abutmentsadapted to engage opposite faces,

respectively, of a support having an aperture to receive the devlce.

8. In a device of'the class described, the combination of alight-transmitting element, a reflector associated with and disposedbehind said element, means spacing said element from the reflectingsurface of said reflector, means maintaining said element against saidspacing means, and a mounting for said element and said reflector, saidmounting comprising clamping means for engagementwith opposite sides,respectively, of a support.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of alight-transmitting element, a reflector associated with and dis osedbehind said element, front and rear a utments which maintain saidelement in spaced relationship with said reflector, and a support havingan aperture within which said element is disposed, said elementrojecting from opposite sides, respectively, o said support.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of alight-transmitting element, a reflector associated with and disposedbehind said element, front and rear abutments which maintain saidelement in spaced relationship with said reflector, a support having anaperture within which said element is disposed, said element projectingfrom opposite sides, respectively, of said support, and means engagingsaid support about said aperture on opposite sides, respectively, ofsaid su port.

n testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

WILLIAM J. MACDONALD. WILLIAM R. MILLER.

